1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a metallic bus bar which is suitable for a wiring member of an electric junction box.
2. Background of the Invention
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a conventional bus bar which can be used as a wiring member of an electric junction box. A bus bar 301 can be obtained by, for example, applying a pressure onto a metallic plate, and includes an elongated base plate 302, a plurality of tuning fork-shaped terminal portions 303 and a plurality of plate-shaped terminal portions 304 extending from an lateral end of the elongated base plate 302, a terminal-protecting portions 305 extending from both longitudinal ends of the elongated base plate 302 in the same direction as the plurality of tuning fork-shaped terminal portions 303 extends, and an electric wire-crimping portion 307 extending from the other lateral end of the elongated base plate 302. The terminal-protecting portion 305 is provided with a locking hole 306 with which a lance disposed inside a frame of an electric junction box is brought into locking engagement.
The aforementioned bus bar 301 is received in the frame of an electric junction box while an end portion of the electrical wire being crimped with the electric wire-crimping portion 307. Furthermore, an electric part such as a relay and a fuse is mounted to the frame, thereby allowing a terminal portion of the electric part to electrically connect to the tuning fork-shaped terminal portion 303 and the plate-shaped terminal portion 304. The terminal-protecting portion 305 is not a member or part to be electrically connected to the electric part, and is configured to protect the tuning fork-shaped terminal portion 303 from any deform or breakage when the bus bar 301 colliding against a foreign object until it is received in the frame of the electric junction box.